Metropolitan Handicap

Race Conditions:          Grade 1, 3YO & up, 8F, Dirt, Belmont Park

Race Class Par:                            111 
Race Class Rating:                       112
Winner's Time/Quality Rating:     112

Pace:                                            Slow Early, Fast Middle, Average Late
Track Bias:                                    Honest

Race Comments:   Long one of the deepest and highest quality Grade 1 races run at Belmont each year, the 2011 Metropolitan Handicap lacked the Grade 1 quality of some of the great editions of the past, but it was still a very deep and talented field of horses.  

Notable Performances:

1. Tizway - Stalked the pace outside Tackleberry, opened up on that rival turning for home, drew off, and finished well.  Finished 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Rodman who was in turn 5 1/2 lengths ahead of a series of solid Grade 2 horses. A very solid Grade 1 performance.

2. Rodman - 2 wide alone off the pace, rallied into contention, ducked to the inside in the stretch and finished very well both time wise and relative to the rest of the closers.  He finished 5 1/2 lengths ahead of a series of solid Grade 2 horses in a much improved Grade 1 level performance.

3. Haynesfield - In the second flight, made a 3 wide bid on the turn as the pace picked up, could not sustain it, and tired.  Doesn't appear to be as sharp as last year, but this effort was better than it looks on the surface. With a softer more controlling pace scenario, he's still threat against very good horses.  

Preakness 2011

Race Conditions:          Grade 1, 3YOs, 9.5F, Dirt, Pimlico

Race Class Par:                            109 
Race Class Rating:                       106
Winner's Time/Quality Rating:     104.5

Pace:                                             Fast Early, Slow Middle, Average Late
Track Bias:                                    Honest

Race Comments: The 2011 Preakness was a typically deep Grade 1 race that contained no horses that are truly superior to the Grade 1 designation for this time of year. 


Notable Performances:

1. Shackleford - Put away quality sprinter Flashpoint and held gamely when challenged late by Animal Kingdom. Another very game performance.

Kentucky Derby 2011 - May 7th 2011

Race Conditions:        Grade 1, 3YOs, 10F,  Dirt, Churchill Downs 

Race Class Par:                          109 
Race Class Rating:                     107
Winner's Time/Quality Rating:   105

Pace:                                          Slow Early, Fast Middle, Fast Late
Track Bias:                                 Tiring, Rail Mild Negative

Race Comments: The 2011 Kentucky Derby was a typically deep Grade 1 race, but contained no horses that are truly superior to the Grade 1 designation for this time of year and had the notable absence of a couple of the early leaders of the division. 


Notable Performances:

1. Shackleford  - Set a leisurely pace early, but quickened and then repulsed a bid by Nehro, drew off and weakened late.  Held quite well on a track that was unkind to speed

2. Nehro - Moved a bit prematurely to keep close to Shackleford and finished well.

3. Dialed In - Very far back from the moderate early pace. Finished fast enough late to believe he should give a better account of himself in a smaller field with a more average early pace.